


A Good Idiot

by FiendMaz



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Banter, Cute, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 08:21:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17783921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiendMaz/pseuds/FiendMaz
Summary: Hours later, Mira found them laughing loudly, crumbs scattered about them and a hint of hot chocolate foam around their lips. They were a picture of carefree joy and instant friendship and she giggled to herself as she snapped their picture in secret before telling them she was going to close the shop.





	A Good Idiot

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!
> 
> This shall mark my first of (hopefully) many fics in the NaLu fandom.
> 
> -  
> Beta: [beyondthehunt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyondthehunt/works)

In the midst of the cool breeze of the early evening, people milled about the generous field within the campus grounds. Their faces were lit by the shine of the moon, the ground cushioned their every  step and their subdued chattering mingled with the sound of cars passing through beyond the open gates.

On the stone path, that led to the library one way and out the campus the other way, walked a young female engrossed with the writings on the tablet she held. Her head was bowed down in concentration and her long-flowing golden hair swayed about in the hold of a side-ponytail.

She glanced up when she was but a step away from exiting campus grounds and shut her tablet off before inserting it inside her shoulder bag. It weighed down more heavily where it rested against her side and wrinkled the soft fabric of her light-blue halter top where it dug into her shoulder. With a snap, the bag was closed and she moved forward as she smoothed down her dark blue skirt to prevent it from hiking up.

It was a second after she finished when she found herself flat on the ground, her derriere sore. “Ow…” She mumbled unhappily, a pout on her pink lips. Her eyes darted up from the ground when a shadow crouched near her to see an attractive boy eyeing her with concern. _Too close_ , she thought to herself, _hope he’s not another sleaze_   _._

The boy looked older than her by a year or so and had the softest-looking spiky pink hair. He wore a distressed black muscle shirt that hugged an undoubtedly fine body and – “Hey, are you hurt?”

Lucy flushed in embarrassment as she remembered what situation she was in. “Oh, um…” She eyed the stretch of the black fabric across the boy’s chest before she flicked her eyes up and held back a gasp as she was able to trace over the handsome facial features she only glimpsed a little of earlier. _He’s good-looking._ “Could you –,”

“Yeah?”

The boy grinned and Lucy felt her heart skip a beat. _Not again_ , she thought to herself. “Could you just help me up?” Immediately, two warm hands gripped her arms and she was easily hauled up to a stand. She stumbled a bit in surprise. “Thanks.”

“Nah, my fault you fell. Does it hurt anywhere?” The boy tilted his head down to peer at her from a better angle.

“I’ll be fine.” Lucy assured, pleasantly surprised at the genuine concern in his tone. _At least this one seems nice._ “It’s my fault anyway. I wasn’t looking. I’m sorry,” she told him with an upset pout.

“Nah, what are you saying? I wasn’t looking either.”

Lucy smiled slightly, eyes stuck on the boy’s face. She probably should look elsewhere, perhaps even just walk off already because there was no real need to stay. And, despite being nice so far, there was no real proof this one wasn’t a creep either but… she felt so at ease for some reason and she didn’t want to move.

“My name’s Natsu,” The boy suddenly said with a grin. “You are?”

Lucy’s smile widened and she shifted to face the other fully. “I’m Lucy. Nice to meet you, Natsu.”

“So, Lucy,” Natsu said as he flashed her his widest grin yet. “Wanna grab a drink?”

Lucy blinked, wondering if she should. It was finals time after all. But… she had a few more days to study and it wouldn’t hurt to find out whether she could make a new friend today or not. Smiling back, she accepted: “sure.”

“Sweet! C’mon then!” Natsu grabbed her hand and they bounded down the street.

Lucy let herself be pulled, brows furrowed, as she glanced at where her hand was being held. The other’s hand was big and warm and… surprisingly comfortable. She didn’t feel the urge to snatch her hand away which wasn’t usual but, she figured, until she felt threatened, she might as well go along with flow.

They ended up at her favourite coffee shop, the closest one to campus but also the only place – she felt- exuded the most welcoming warmth in a myriad of ways. The bell tinkled softly upon their entry and the beautiful barista by the counter greeted them brightly, “welcome to Fairy Tail!”

Natsu brought her over to the display of pastry and desserts just beside the counter and presented it to her with a grand gesture. “What do you think?” He asked with a fast-becoming familiar grin, looking mighty proud of himself and more than excited.

“Hello Lucy, Natsu.” Mira, the barista, gazed at them from the other side of the display with a friendly smile. “I didn’t know you two were friends.”

Lucy’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “You know Natsu?”

“Yes,” Mira confirmed happily. “Natsu’s like a little brother to me. I’ve known him since we were kids. He’s quite close to Lisanna and Elfman too.”

“Really?” Lucy mumbled to herself. She felt a tingle of excitement rush from her fingertips all the way to the top of her head. She must have really lucked out to meet someone approved by Mira. Suddenly, she felt doubly more comfortable in the other’s presence. “You must have been a cute child, huh, Natsu?”

But Natsu wasn’t paying attention. He was looking at Lucy with such shock and disappointment that she felt like she had done something terribly wrong even though she hadn’t. “You already know this place?” He sounded utterly dejected.

“Um…” Lucy glanced at the still-smiling Mira, bewildered.

“Of course you do…” Natsu continued miserably. “Your campus is near here after all…”

Lucy patted him awkwardly on the shoulder to no effect as Natsu continued to sulk. “It’s okay, Natsu…” She threw Mira another helpless look before an idea popped into her head. Smiling brightly, she suggested, “how about you let me try your favourites here? It’ll be a new experience if I don’t get my usual orders.”

“Really?” Natsu perked up quickly at the idea. “Sounds like a plan!” He turned her around abruptly and ushered her away from the counter enthusiastically. “Go sit down and I’ll bring our stuff over!”

Lucy rolled her eyes at his antics. “Yes, yes.” She waved her hand in addition to her words of confirmation. “I’m going, Natsu!”

 

*~*~*~*

 

A few minutes later, Natsu arrived at the table Lucy reserved for them with two steaming mugs and two identical pastries. He grinned proudly once more and set the tray in front of Lucy with the unmistakable air of self-accomplishment. “Ta-da!” He exclaimed with yet another grand gesture.

 _Way too much energy for_   _this time of the day_ , Lucy thought as she picked up one of the mugs and touched the rim to her lips. She inhaled the temptingly sweet wafts of dark chocolate and noted the hint of something spicy. It made her nose tingle so she placed it back down before she tempted fate and embarrassed herself by sneezing.

Natsu had sat down by the time she turned to him and she noted that the shoulder bag she had set aside earlier had inadvertently served as a barrier between them as they both sat on either side of it.

“You don’t like it?”

Lucy trailed her eyes up to observe the slight pout on slender lips. “Oh, no, it’s not that. Is there some sort of chili in the hot chocolate?”

“Yeah…” Natsu’s pout became more visible. “You don’t like it?” He almost sounded like he was going to whine once more.

Lucy bit her lip to hide an amused smile and quickly picked up the mug again to take a slow sip. She savoured the taste of the more-than-warm liquid on her tongue and nearly moaned at how almost-sensual the mix of chili and hot chocolate was in the form of a drink. “It’s amazing,” she complimented breathlessly after swallowing.

“Score!” Natsu beamed and pumped his fist in the air; an action that made Lucy grateful that the table she chose – her usual table - was tucked into the back corner of the shop and separated from the rest of the patrons by a wall and the back of a high couch which covered them from view. “Try this one next!” He pushed over one of the pastries.

Lucy licked her lips in anticipation. She was really hungry having not had dinner yet and, if the drink was any indication, this pastry was sure to be amazing. Mindful of the temperature, she cautiously took a bite and carefully chewed. Her sense of taste was immediately assaulted by a mouth-watering combination of sweet and spicy along with the pleasant crunch and chewy texture of a well-made puff pastry. This time she couldn’t stop herself: “mmmmm mavis, this is _so good_.”

It took a moment for her to realise that Natsu didn’t respond to the praise she bestowed upon the pastry of his choice but when she did, she sneaked a glance at him. Her lips quirked up in reflex upon seeing his dumbfounded face. She snickered and snapped her fingers, “earth to Natsu.”

“Huh, what?” Natsu shook his head. “I’m alive,” he stated, not the least bit convincing with the dazed look still in his eyes.

“What’s this called?” Lucy asked after deciding to ignore his stupor.

Natsu blinked and shook his head again. “That’s, uhm, a Sri Lankan-inspired pastry.”

“Really?” Lucy regarded the pastry with more interest.

“Yeah, the pastry’s stuffed with boiled eggs and Seeni sambol. It’s basically sweet and spicy caramelized onion.” Natsu explained in detail much to Lucy’s surprise.

“Hmmm,” She leaned back on her seat and observed her companion. “You cook, Natsu?”

“Ah,” Natsu scratched his cheek in an almost-shy manner.

“No?”

Natsu smiled sheepishly. “I was a disaster in the kitchen before but I kept trying – Mira’s sister, Lisanna, is very patient. She taught me how to bake and cook and whip up drinks.” He puffed up and exclaimed, “I’m pretty good now!”

“Oh, that’s amazing! You’re a very dedicated person, huh, Natsu?”

“I dunno. I kinda just learned outta necessity, you know?”

Lucy nodded thoughtfully. “You live alone too, huh?”

“Yeah…” Natsu grimaced. “It’s such a pain!”

“It sure is,” Lucy agreed with a smile. A smile, she noticed, that was widening with every exaggerated face Natsu was making whilst he thought about cooking. She raised a hand to her lips as a laugh bubbled out of her and bit her lip when she realised she was starting to feel fond of the other. Quickly, she turned away and picked up the other plate of pastry then shoved it at Natsu’s face; the action effectively startled the other from his one-man comedy show. “Eat, Natsu. I can hear your stomach growling from here,” she teased.

Natsu gaped at her. “It did _not_ ,” he denied hotly. “And no, you can’t!”

“Sure, I can’t.” Lucy jested.

“You can’t!” Natsu insisted as he sullenly bit off a big portion of the pastry.

Lucy snickered. “Let’s say I can’t then.”

“That’s cuz you _can’t!_ ”

 

*~*~*~*

 

Hours later, Mira found them laughing loudly, crumbs scattered about them and a hint of hot chocolate foam around their lips. They were a picture of carefree joy and instant friendship and she giggled to herself as she snapped their picture in secret before telling them she was going to close the shop.

 

*~*~*~*

 

The night had settled in completely by the time they stepped out of the coffee shop. Cars were few and far between as they passed through the road before them and the streets were empty and still. A gust of wind dominated the wide open space and Lucy shivered a little as her revealing outfit did nothing to keep her warm.

It was later than she would have stayed out had it been a normal day, a normal night, but time had passed so quickly and she had so much fun with the new friend she had made tonight. His phone number was safely tucked into the memory of her phone and hers was likewise in his phone, promises of meeting up again ripe in her mind.

“Oh!” She startled when she felt something touch her skin only to find Natsu wrapping her neck and shoulders up with a white scarf that had the design of roof tiles or, more magically, dragon scales. Her fingers curled around the soft material and she blushed a little under the caring attention. “Thanks, Natsu.”

Natsu grinned at her. “Need a cab ride home, Lucy?”

“No,” Lucy snuggled further into the warmth of the scarf as another gust passed by them. “I live near here so I’m just going to walk.”

“Alright then, let’s go!”

Lucy blinked. “Huh?”

“I’m walking you home, of course!” Natsu said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Um,” Lucy stared at her newfound friend as she wondered whether she should agree. But then again, she figured, as Natsu looked at her expectantly, he wouldn't accept anything less. “Of course. Thanks, Natsu.”

Natsu hummed in response and casually led the way when she gestured towards the direction they should walk. It gave Lucy a view of his side-profile and his back, both of which were impressive.

His hands, which were shoved in his pockets, made his arm muscles taut and emphasized the strength of his back. His lazy stroll wasn’t as graceful as a model’s but as graceful as a panther on a prowl. He exuded strength in a very silent yet overpowering way – impressive in its restrained might – and Lucy wondered how often he hit the gym and whether he did any martial arts.

“–cy?”

Suddenly, Lucy’s unhindered view was taken from her as Natsu turned around to face her. She looked at him with wide eyes. “Natsu?”

“Lucy, are you okay?”

“Yes! Yes, sorry, did I space out?” Lucy worried.

“A little…” Natsu tilted his head. “Sleepy?”

Now that he asked, Lucy felt exhaustion creep at her consciousness. She yawned behind her palm. “Mm.”

Natsu’s eyes softened and he took her free hand. “Come on, we’re near, right?”

“Yes,” Lucy answered before she even glanced around to see that they were, indeed, near her home. She tugged his hand gently, fully comfortable in his presence, and steered them into a side street then an inner street before slowing to a stop in front of an unassuming building.

Nab, the guard of the building, waved his hand at her in greeting when they came into view.

“Do you want me to walk you to your door?” Natsu asked quietly.

Lucy considered it for a moment before shaking her head. “I’ll be fine.” She reached up to grab the scarf so she could return it but was stopped. Both her hands were in Natsu’s hold now. “Natsu?”

“Keep the scarf, Lucy. It’s still cold.” Natsu’s smile was gentle. It was so different to his usual grins and Lucy stared in awe, enraptured. “Lucy?”

“Hm?”

“What are you doing, you weirdo? Go in already before you turn into a Popsicle.” Natsu let her hands go to place his own on her shoulders. Then, he steered her over to the entrance of her building and patted her on the back. “Alright, there we go.”

Lucy turned around to face him. “Thanks for walking me, Natsu.”

“Sure!” Natsu grinned.

“Good night!” Lucy beamed at him before she hopped up the stairs then turned again to wave goodbye by the main doors. “Take care on your way home!”

Natsu waved back, grin ever-intact. “Don’t fall asleep on your way to your bed!”

“You too!” Lucy jibed back with a roll of her eyes. She shook her head when Natsu simply laughed before jogging away. He was really an interesting fellow. Interesting, fascinating and all sorts of wonderful really. He’d make a very good character for the novel she was penning, she mused.

“Boyfriend?”

Lucy whipped her head around to face Nab. “Nope. New friend.” She smiled and walked away with a cheerful parting of, “night, Nab!”

 

*~*~*~*

 

An elevator ride later and Lucy was safely inside her dark apartment. She walked the length to her window, opened it and leaned out to look up at the clear sky. The stars twinkled brightly back at her and she delighted at the sight of some constellations before her stargazing was disturbed by a tickling sensation around her legs.

She looked down to see her white dog, Plue, nuzzle her legs with an adorable expression and she knelt down to hug him. “Hey, Plue. Guess what?” She asked him as she stood up again and rested a safe distance by the window. “I made a new friend today.”

Plue barked softly just as her phone buzzed.

“That might be him.” Lucy shifted Plue to one arm and used her free hand to slide her phone out of her skirt pocket. Her eyes lit up once she saw the message and her lips stretched into a smile. “Look, Plue, he’s greeting me goodnight.”

_Night, Lucy! Don’t let the bed bugs bite!_

 

“He’s such an idiot…” Lucy murmured fondly. “But, a _good_ idiot.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please do share your thoughts in the comments! I'd love some feedback :)
> 
> [Tumblr](https://maztri.tumblr.com/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/fiendmaztri)


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